Overture of the Night
by Prustrian Informant
Summary: Dear Reader: Due to love I lost my family and my life, I became a dark-hunter and have had to fight against daimons. Now I've found Holly, who is wanted dead by almost everyone. If fates want her dead they'll have to kill me first... -Prelude Andros
1. Prologue

_**Just because you can doesn't mean you should.**_

_**-Acheron**_

_**That's true, but I'll regret it if I don't.**_

_**-Csoh**_

___________________________)()(-)()(___________________________

** Overture of the Night**

**_______________________________________)()(-)()(___________________________________**

**Prologue**

He watched as she entered the performance hall. Her hair a stunning shade of brown. She moved with elegance onto the stage and sat down in front of the group with her instrument. Her hands started the first chord as the crowd became entranced in her beauty. Many people waved at her, but her eyes wandered for one soul in the audience.

Her gaze finally found him. He shifted forward enough that she could see. Her melody, her prelude that she alone played was well meaningful for them both. After all after the end of the night she would be with him for eternity.

Her bow moved toward the final chord. The room was absorbed until a figure ran onto the stage. "WITCH!" The crowd shrieked as she jumped up. Her instrument falling to the floor, long forgotten by its former queen. The crowd began to swell as she turned left and right. Trying to find him, trying to escape a fate that became to all who were claimed under that title.

He rushed down the stairwell and ran to save her. The crowd lit a torch and threw it in her direction. A smell unlike any other swept threw the building. Screaming could be heard as not only his love burned, but the building as well. The crowd pushed the man out of the building just as the foundation collapsed the building. The musician was dead.

He turned at his fellow villagers. He screamed at their deed. They turned against him, their decision over his fate set. He saw his family. His parents. Sister. Dead. Her family was waiting. Why?

"You were converting her to your heresy. It was too late to save her." He felt the pain. The shock. His soul cried into the darkness.

"Would you be willing to fight?" A red-headed woman appeared in front of him.

"Yes." He remembered her face. Her music. Her everything. She was gone. What was left. The red-head bent down and he past out.

He awakened in a cave. A dark-haired man in front of him. Holding out his hand.

"You must forget the past. It will only weaken you."

"Then show me. Show me how to walk alone."


	2. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Read More... (okay, maybe it's more of a request than a note.) :P**_

**Chapter One**

"I saw we impale the jerk and throw his bimbo into the nearest swamp." Holly laughed at her friend's remark, but inside she waited for the clock to speed up so that she could go to her other job. Ferdinand had been such a sweetheart. To think this wasn't even the first time that a man had taken advantage...

"So are your family EVER going to visit you? I don't think anyone has even seen your family." Selena wiggled in her seat as she tried finish eating.

"My family won't ever visit. They...well... you see I..." Selena leaned forward.

"OH MY GOD THEY'RE DEAD AREN'T THEY! OH! I'M SO SORRY!"

"They're not dead. They just disowned me from the family is all." Selena stopped her apologizing as she heard Holly.

"They disowned you?! Why would they do that?"

"Because," Holly sighed as she moved around her food. "I thought I had found a guy that truly loved me. My family didn't like him and my mother took the chance to push me out and when we ended up breaking up my mother had moved the whole family against me. It didn't help that I wanted to have history as a major and physics."

"That's ridiculous! Why would she even care? It's your life not hers!" Holly sighed. The whole thing was ridiculous, but at least she didn't have to worry about family reunions.

"Holly?" Holly cast the thought aside as Selena waved the check in front of her. "So you have to get to your class right?"

"Yeah. I have three classes to still teach and there's the whole 15 minute rule that if I don't get there they have the time off." Selena laughed as they headed out of the cafe and out into the overcast afternoon. Selena went on and on about her family until her husband came.

"Hey hon." Selena leaped into his arms and he laughed. He looked over at Holly. " Ooh Bill this is Holly. You remember? She works with Julian in the historical majors at the university. Holly this is my husband I was telling you about.

"Hello Bill, how are you?" Holly went over and shook hands with Bill.

"It's nice to know Selena has friends who aren't oddballs," Bill laughed as Selena slapped him playfully in the arm. "Like your one to talk." Selena was fun.

Holly laughed until she glanced at her watch. "Oh shoot! Um... It was nice meeting you, but my students are going to get upset if I don't hurry." Holly hurried through the streets and rushed into the building and into her classroom. It was going to be about ten more minutes before any of her students arrived.

Her thoughts went back to Ferdinand. He had mistook the performance hall for the city hall (intelligent) where he had ended up asking her out to dinner. He had spent only a few weeks with her before he finally got tired of only seeing her in clothes.

They had argued through their last date and finally she had left the restaurant and gone home. Not twenty minutes later had she traveled to the store to find that he was having dinner with a negative two waisted blond. Holly sighed as she remembered the phone conversation from the morning.

_"Hey who was that girl at that restaurant with you?"_

_"Oh her? I'm leaving you for her. Unlike you she opens up to me and isn't afraid to get personal."_

_"OH! I think you mean that she's easy unlike me-"_

_"Don't even try to compare yourself to her. She's perfect while your fat and you know it."_

Holly looked down at her waist. She wasn't fat or overweight. The only thing was that her bust was a little... on the large side... Holly cast the thought aside as her class filed into the room. She started writing the important topics on the board as they all took their seats.

"Alright everyone. Today we are joining the order of the dragon. I hope you all did some reading because I'm not in the mood to be talking the whole time." Holly turned and continued on about the history of the order right up until the bell.

Julian walked in as her class started to leave.

"Hello Julian. How's Macedonia?" Julian taught about Greek history and seemed more into Macedonia for some reason...

"Fine. I heard that you and Selena are friends."  
"Yeah. Your wife threw her in my direction and we just went into history and art and paranormal things and then... Well at that point I had to hurry back here for my class." Julian laughed at that.

"Yeah, she's nice though. I heard about Ferdin-"

"OH! I've got to go copy some papers. I'll see you later. Say hello to your family for me okay?" Holly went to the copying room and started up the machine. Julian had meant well, but it was far too soon for talk.

The next two classes went by in a blur and soon Holly found herself out in the evening heading towards the parking garage and hopefully to a tub of ice cream and a movie on her flat screen.

The night was soon all around as the trees rustled and the wind softly blew across the night. Holly saw the garage just in sight when someone tapped her shoulder. Turning she saw a blond man behind her... Well he was a man, but goodness they don't make too many men like that. Julian was an exception, but damn. Holly ogled for a minute before she saw the others behind him... holding blades. Holly rushed toward the garage, but was knocked over by one of the group. Then everything went black.

Prelude wandered threw New Orleans. Unfortunately Artemis had demanded that he be moved from his small Parisian home to here and it now looked to be in many ways permanent. That goddess had issues too complicated for even modern day doctors. The night was only bothered by the sound of the clubs pounding bass threw the night and the chatter of far off pedestrians. He turned the corner and almost ran straight into Kyrian. The former dark-hunter smiled.

"Prelude. How's it going. Glad to be out that sissy town aren't ya." Prelude forced himself not to argue with the Greek.

"Paris had its moments." Unlike this swamp surrounded place.

"HA! Right. Well I had to see who they would bring to New Orleans. You'll like here way more than Paris. You can actually find our countries food here." Prelude didn't bother to correct the Greek. Ever since he had been recruited the other Greek dark-hunters had always confused him for one of them. Even the dark-hunter website had confused him as a Greek.

"I should get back to work..." Prelude moved around Kyrian and headed toward the outskirts of town. Kyrian followed for minute by soon he turned and was gone. Prelude was almost to his car when he saw them. A group of daimons were surrounding yet another victim. The person tried to run but the leader knocked them out.

Rushing across the street he stabbed the leader and another daimon in the crest. The two exploded into dust as the other three ran forward. He jumped over one and stabbed the daimon in the chest while catching another with the blade in his shoe. The last turned to run and received a knife to the back.

Prelude turned to see if the person had survived. The daimons blades littered the ground as he saw the person. They had their face hidden by a large amount of brown hair. He pulled her into his arms and looked at her.

She was stunning. She wasn't like most girls with either a thin waist or a large waist. Her skin was pale as anyone's could be not to mention soft as silk. She looked just like... Prelude stopped his train of thought before it led to trouble. She was obviously alive. He looked around and saw a briefcase nearby. She must have dropped it. He picked it up and carried her to his car. She needed to be off the street this was still a city and she could die out in the middle of the night alone.

Prelude carried the unconscious woman into a guest room and started to search through her bag. Equations, papers on atomic structure and different parts of history in the fifteenth century made up most of her bag. What he needed was a number. Someone's number to call so that she could be back where she belonged and not in his house. His back started to tingle as the night drew to a close. Still no number anywhere.

"Mmm..." His guest started to wake he almost choked at the sight of her. Her eyes were a light blue. She looked exactly like her. The Fates were cruel. She looked around a minute disoriented as he quickly shut her briefcase and stood up.

"I'm pleased to see that you have finally awakened. I found you passed out on the street. Your things are right here and the exit is down the stairs to your left." He quickly walked out before he reacted to his instinct to clutch her and hold her close. Wandering threw his darkened house he made his way to grab a bite before turning in.

Holly looked around after the stranger left. Those people last night had tried to kill her. Had that guy not seen them? Impossible! Those people would never have left me after I was knocked out. Jumping off the bed she grabbed her bag and headed toward the lower level. She looked around until she heard moment in one of the room to her left.

The man was cooking by the stove. She watched as he threw the pancake in the air and had it land on its other side.

"The exit was right out that big door in the foyer." He didn't turn around.

"Yeah, but I didn't get to thank you for saving me." He glanced over and almost smiled.

"It was nothing."

"So... What's your name?" He threw the pancake on a plate and set it in front of her.

"My name is Prelude Andros."

"Really? That is fascinating. Andros means warrior in Greek right?"

"Your know your Greek. Yes." He threw a couple more pancakes onto another plate and sat down next to her. "Well? I have made crepes many times before so they should taste just fine."

"I figured they would be good." They sat in silence as they ate. His crepes were delicious... and he was pretty delicious as well. She raked his person. He was all muscle that was for sure. His buttoned shirt was open revealing a perfect eight pack and chest. He was high class for sure. His clothes were obviously Armani. He looked over as she quickly looked away. His black hair was most tied back except for two long bangs that hung on either side of his face. He had these deep black eyes that almost looked like only pupils and no iris.

Prelude felt her looking at him. He turned to see that she had syrup on her lip. He waited for her to notice and wipe it away. She didn't.

"So do I get to know your name?"

"OH! My name is Holly Tochter Rheia " She blushed.

"Daughter is your middle name?" He tried not to smile, but he was starting to fail miserably. She needed to leave soon.

"Yeah my father left my mother with that in mind for my middle name. My mother though was upset because he was leaving her for some reason." Holly stopped herself before she kept going.

"I'm sorry to hear that. So have you lived here your whole life?"

"Well, no. I just woke up here this morning." Prelude smiled at that.

"I meant have you lived here in New Orleans your whole life." She smiled, revealing some adorable dimples.

"No. I moved down here to New Orleans to get away from my past." Oh the irony. "I liked this guy who seemed right for me, but it turned into a mess and I needed to move far away from it all." That was the opposite of his moving away.

"It must have been hard. Do you have family down here?" He should have been pushing her out the door. The sun would have burned him to a crisp though.

"I actually moved down here to find my father. A friend of his lives here in New Orleans and I've been looking for his address.

"What's his friend's name?" He didn't know why he cared. She wasn't his love from long ago. Her life shouldn't have mattered to him, but for some unknown reason he couldn't fathom it did.

"Acheron Parthenopaeus." He froze as the words came out. There was no way she could be referring to leader of the dark-hunters, favorite dark-hunter of Artemis's Acheron Parthenopaeus.


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N: If you flame me, an even higher force will flame you. Yeah I do mean that one dude... **_

_**___________________________________)()(-)()(________________________________**_

_**Chapter 2:**_

__"Do you know him?" Prelude relaxed himself before he revealed too much.

"No. It's just that name seems familiar. So what do you do for a living, besides look for strangers." Holly glared at him.

"I don't look for strangers... Anyway I work a morning shift at the New Orleans Laboratory where I work on quantum physics and then in the afternoon I have three classes that I teach on the thirteenth through the seventeenth century warfare with." Her face lit up as she said this.

"So you work all day." Prelude finished his food as she looked over at him.

"Yes. I have to make a living somehow. We can't all have our lives set for us." Holly got up and started to clean her plate.

"And you're assuming that I do." He tried to act polite when he really just wanted to throw her out.

"Well, this house does have quite a bit of space for only one person."

"Fine." He turned away and left the room. She wasn't her. His love would have never treated him in such a way. He made it to the basement stairwell when he started to feel the need to turn and run back. What was it about her that interested him.

_

Holly turned as he walked out of the room. She silently cursed herself at what she had said. He had only wanted to make small talk. She ran out into the foyer and saw him standing in a doorway.

"Look I'm sorry about that. I tend to get defensive about things like that." Just ask her boyfriends. She shook away the thought.

"I shouldn't have brought it up." A clock started to chime the hour as Holly realized she was late.

"Um... I have to hurry to work. Thank you for saving me." She turned and started to leave. "Oh and for the breakfast. You were right; they were delicious." She turned and hurry into the morning shutting the door behind her.

"WHERE WERE YOU?!" Holly looked up from her papers as her boss Ileane came over. "You were a half hour late and don't give me any crap about stress cause the other morons in the biomedical area already tried that on me.

"I had a late start this morning and found traffic to be a nightmare." Holly ignored Ileane as she started to lecture about the duties of work and how this was where accomplishments were made. She looked about the room. Her office was still cluttered after her rush out of the office the day before. The blackboard was still full of anomalies and equations as her desk had at least half a dozen books out on the same topic. Surprisingly her lab area was clean.

Ileane finally finished and left. Holly spent a while cleaning around and tossing old papers that were useless out. She tried to focus, but her thoughts weren't on the job today. They were still on that Prelude gentleman from the morning. It was weird that she would even consider him after all the previous relationship fallouts from before. Holly jumped as the phone rang.

"HOLLY! I hear that you want to come over to my sister's for dinner tonight." Selena was excited.

"I didn't know that, but I guess I am stoked. Wait which of your sisters are we talking about?"

"Amanda. She's inviting everyone over for dinner and thought it would be nice for you to get some social time away from that physics jumbo. And I bet Tabby and I can find our good hex books for you." Holly laughed.

"I don't think I'll need them, but I guess I'll see you tonight." She paused for a minute as she tried to remember the place. "So do you want me to meet you or can I have an address or-"

"Julian is going to drive you if that's okay with you."

"Alright. That sounds great. I gotta go."

Holly hung up and slumped into her chair. Sighing she looked at the clock. Time to clock out.

_

Prelude tossed and turned as he remember the past. Finally he gave up on sleep and looked at the clock. Six thirty. He went upstairs and grabbed a drink from the fridge. He walked into his spare room and picked up his cello. He had found a Spaniard who made the finest string instruments and had it specially handcrafted.

The phone started to ring in the hallway. He set the cello aside and grabbed the phone.

"Prelude, you should come over for dinner. My wife and I are having some people over and you should definitely be around. I hear Valerius isn't even going to be coming since he's visiting his family. C'mon."

"I have a job to do."

"Twenty minutes and the job will get done on a full stomach."

"Fine. When do you want me there?"

"Eight? Yeah eight." Kyrian hung up and Prelude set aside the phone. Sometimes the Greeks were too friendly.

Prelude walked out of his home and headed toward the Hunters residence. It was just down the street. He felt uneasy about it. Almost like something was going to happen.

-

Holly got out of Julian's car... well actually leaped to the ground and took the fetal position.

"I'm getting better at driving..." Julian pocketed his keys as Grace got out of the car.

"If you think he's a bad driver now, you should have seen him when he first started to drive. Their kids filed out of the back as Kyrian and Amanda came out and greeted them all. Selena and Bill were already in the living room with a very gothic woman who could only be Tabitha.

"Holly this is Tabitha." Selena jumped up and Holly greeted Tabby.

"Selena has told me all about all of you." Tabby laughed and the dinner continued. Soon the whole room was filled with their family and friends. Holly stood aside until she saw Tory.

"TORY! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Holly, what are you doing here?!" Tory came over with an absolute stunning goth behind her.

"Selena invited me and there really isn't a way to say no when she really wants you to do something." Mr. Sexy Goth guy hugged Tory from behind.

"Holly this is my husband Acheron." Holly had to stop herself from jumping in the air.

"Acheron Parthenopaeus?!" They both frowned at that.

"How do you know his full name?" Holly ignored the question as she looked up at Acheron. His shades got in the way of his eyes, making it impossible to read them.

"You know my father!" They relaxed a bit.

"I know quite a lot of people."

"Yeah, but how many people do you know named Savitar?" Tory and Acheron froze.

"Savitar..." Holly was getting more and more excited by the minute.

"Yeah. Savitar." Tory looked at Acheron and Acheron remained silent. Selena bounced over and disrupted the conversation.

"Hey Tory, Ash, how are things going with you two."

"OH... things are great." Tory turned away and Ash whispered into her ear. "Ash was just dropping me off."

"Why don't you stay too Ash." Ash turned to leave.

"He has to be somewhere, but he'll be back later." Selena agreed and turned to Holly. "So Tabby still has her beginner's guide to hexes and Karma thinks she know the perfect spell for you." Holly looked after Acheron before agreeing to go with Selena.

-

Acheron walked out of the house and turned the corner before teleporting to Savitar's island. The surfer was out catching a rather large one. Acheron went into the surf and met the god.

"Tired of the marriage life already? I don't think she'll take this well." Savitar sat on his board.

"This has nothing to do with Tory. I just met the most unusual thing yet." Savitar laid back.

"You've been hanging around the humans this long and you just now noticed strange things. Damn, you need to be here more than me." Acheron ignored that.

"She says you're her father. Apparently she knows you and she knows about me." Savitar didn't react.

"... Have a little too much Sprite one night did we. Although I don't know why I would be on your mind when you're with women."

"You know that's bull. Just who is she and is she yours." Savitar stood up and motioned toward the house. They both popped into the place and Savitar turned to him.

"Do you know where she is right now?"

"She's with Tory... Can't you see that?" Savitar frowned.

"We should get to them before the daimons or the greek pantheon get to her." Savitar left with Acheron close behind.


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I went slightly OOC on the last chapter... I had this come up in a dream. It was awesome so bare with me. It gets pretty great.**_

_**__________________________________)()()()(__________________________________**_

_**Chapter 3:**_

Prelude started up the stairs when he saw Ash and some surfer guy heading toward the place.

"Ash. Didn't expect to see you around here." Acheron turned to the dark-hunter and grinned.

"Could say the same to you Pre. I believe your german not greek." Prelude smirked back.

"You should tell that to the others. So whose the carper?" Ash laughed as the surfer frowned. Prelude moved more towards the door and stopped.

"You don't know how well that phrase fits him. This is Savitar. He's in charge of the were-hunters." Yeah right.

"Sure and Kyrian's roman. Whatever." Savitar ignored them and opened the door to the house. Kyrian rushed out of the dining room and met them all with a grin.

"I thought eight was before nine? What happened? Even Tory made it before you Ash. And Sunshine and she's usually the last." A shout came from the dining room as Sunshine yelled back at the general. The Atlantean ignored him while they all went and sat down at the table.

The table was long since there were so many at it and Prelude was surprised to find Holly was sitting next to a light brown haired woman and Kyrian's sister-in-law Tabitha. The three were in a deep conversation as he, Ash, and Savitar entered the room and sat down.

Her hair was thrown back into a sloppy bun and her blue eyes sparkled as she spoke to the other two. She was so much like her. It was uncanny. Savitar leaned over.

"She's not Shanta. You can keep thinking she is, but since your a dark-hunter it'll hurt you more." Prelude froze at that.

"How do you know about-"

"It's all your thinking about and I would recommend you stop thinking about it because Kyrian's wife will hear every word." Sure enough Kyrian's wife was frowning at the other end of the table and whispering to Kyrian. Prelude tried to stop thinking about it. It was hard though since Holly was right there. They all quickly finished as the children finished and all the other guests left. Holly was still talking to Kyrian's wife and sister as Acheron and Savitar shut the door.

"You two should grab your kids and go to bed." Savitar pointed toward Kyrian and his wife. Acheron looked over at him. "You should be moving along and get started on your job." Prelude turned and walked out of the house instead of arguing. It would have been pointless to argue with Ash since he was the leader.

-

Holly had watched Prelude throughout dinner. His manners were European, she could tell. After all, her mother had once tried to get her to have those same manners. It had ended though when she had started ditching the lessons to play with the neighbors. After a long conversation about how all guys were poison except the others husbands, the others had started to file out and Tabby quickly left to find her husband Valerius and their newborn son who they had named Zarek. Apparently they had named their son after Valerius's brother.

Amanda pulled Holly aside after Tabby left. She seemed like she wanted to talk about something but she remained silent until the tan guy that had entered with Acheron said for Amanda and Kyrian to take their kids and go up to bed... in their own house. Holly watched as Prelude left and the door closed behind him.

"Now hold on a minute. This is my home and you have no right to tell us to leave." Tory sighed as she looked at him wearily.

"This only has to do with Holly so if you two would kindly leave." Holly looked at the guy.

"If this has to do with me we can just go to my house. It's not like this is the only safe house in the world." Amanda looked over at Ash.

"This is bad isn't it." Ash rubbed his forehead as he frowned.

"It would be best general if you at least sent the kids to bed. They don't need to hear this." Amanda grabbed her two kids and headed up the stairs as Kyrian sat down next to Tory. The surfer turned and motioned for her to sit as well.

Holly sat down and looked him over. He was maybe in his late twenties. He had a major tan and was wearing a wet suit that showed off every part of his body. He looked down at her for several minutes. The silence got more and more uncomfortable as they all waited for someone to speak.

"Ash..." The guy turned to Acheron. "I'm going to take her to her place. I'll talk to you later." Ash nodded and he motioned toward the door.

The night was still young outside as they walked out toward the street. "Where's your house." It was more of a statement than a question.

"My house is just outside of town, but my car is just a couple blocks away." The guy nodded and they headed toward the parking garage. She felt better out in the open. The breeze was pleasant as the trees gently swayed. It was already getting cold as the fall continued toward winter. The entered the garage and Holly unlocked her car. The guy sat down in shotgun and waited until they were on their way to her home.

"Do you know who I am?" She felt him looking at her as she drove.

"No, but I'm assuming you know my father Savitar." He looked out the window as the blurs of houses passing by.

"Have you ever met this guy, know what he looks like, what he does?"

"I know that he's my father and like it or not I'm related to him by blood." He looked over at her and smirked.

"So what would you say if I told you that I'm Savitar?" Holly gripped the wheel and tried not to lose control of the car.

"... I would have to ask if you the waves where you were at a little too hard!" He laughed as she turned off the highway leading out of town.

"I figured it would be like that. " He looked back out the window. They parked at her little house and they both got out and headed inside.

"Can I get you something to eat." He didn't answer as he looked at her trophies and degrees. She walked over.

"You've been working hard." He looked at her.

"Um... I was always an outsider though. My mother didn't like me and with Savitar gone I was pretty much alone with nothing better to do." He grimaced at that.

"You were suppose to be human. That's what the fates had said. You were suppose to die in a crash before you turned eleven." Holly froze as he continued. "I couldn't see your fate like everyone else... Apollimy didn't even know about you. We had you taken out of her before she realized..."

"...So you are my father." He looked at her. Remorse was very clearly cut across his face. Then it hit her. That crash years ago...

"...I did end up in a crash. I had fallen on the road and the truck had sent me flying into the windshield of another van. I had spent only an hour in the hospital when they discharged me. After that no one would even talk to me. They all pushed me away." Savitar draped himself onto the couch as she remembered all those years of being different. Of being the freak. That had continued until college.

"Fates are bitches aren't they." Holly looked up at him as he shrugged.

"You mean fate."

"No I mean fates. You see all those mythological gods and goddesses are real. They're annoying too-"

"I think you had too much to drink. Those gods and goddesses are referred to as 'mythical' because they aren't real." Holly turned to head to bed when Savitar appeared before her. She spun around to find the couch empty.

"They're just as real as you and me. I wouldn't recommend visiting them until you stop giving off psych prowess out from every pore of your body." Holly looked at her father.

"I don't believe in superpowers." Holly headed down the hallway and started to get ready for bed. He followed close behind.

"Don't you think it's odd," Holly tried to ignore him to no avail. "that Julian found Grace when she was a sex therapist and he is a history teacher. Or that you healed from a life threatening event in an hour instead of months. Think about it-"

"I don't want to!" Holly turned to face him and looked up at him. "I considered myself lucky to survive and heal after that crash and as to Julian and Grace I really don't think I want to know how they met." Savitar grinned at that.

"Do you want me to leave?" Holly shook her head.

"No. I waited so long to finally know who you are that I..." Holly felt her tears starting to come. They were on the verge falling towards the Earth. The surfer sighed.

"You can't stay here."

"Why?!"

"If the gods find out about you they'll be after you. Go grab what you need and hurry up." Holly turned and started to pack. He refused to answer how long she would be away so she packed enough for a couple weeks and she met him back in the living room.

"So where are we going?" Savitar hugged her. Holly couldn't see for a second and when he moved away she found herself in the living room of another house. Savitar motioned for her to sit down.

"Savitar! What are you doing away from the surf?" A tall muscular man walked in with a robust woman holding a toddler.

"I was dragged away when I found Holly here in some deep shit. I wouldn't care, but this situation involves me personally. I need her to stay here for a while with you wolves, Vane." Vane looked over at her and nodded.

"She has quite a bit of potential for the daimons to come after her. Fine, Bride and Angela could use some company."

Savitar turned and disappeared, leaving Holly with the couple and their son.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Csoh: So I have neglected Prelude's part a bit, but don't worry. The romance is coming...**_

_**______________________________)()(_________________________________________**_

_**Chapter 4:**_

__Holly looked about the room. It was very large. The walls were a light beige and trimmed with some dark wood. The couple sat down across from her and the toddler started to fuss in his mother's arms. The kid was absolutely adorable. He had short black hair and looked like Vane. Of course Vane was gorgeous in the raw masculine way. "Do all the guys around here look like they stepped off the runway?" The woman laughed as the toddler finally broke free and headed for her lap.

"Trace found target!" The boy looked up at her and she patted his head as Vane looked worried.

"So what's going on that you needed to stay." Holly shifted.

"I really wish I knew. According to Savitar I have people after me and at this point all I know for sure is that I'm dead tired and ready to have the rest of the world go on pause so I can relax."

Vane ran a hand through his hair. "Well you're perfectly welcome to stay here with my clan as long as you don't mind wolves." The boy started to push a controller into their guest's hands as Vane's wife laughed.

"Don't mind Trace. He's use to having his uncles here." Holly took the controller and laughed.

"It's fine. I use to have a little brother that loved video games... um... I don't actually know your name-"

The woman laughed, "My name is Bride." She paused as she looked at the clock. "I actually need to put Trace in bed for the night. It's getting late." Holly set aside the controller as Trace beat her. The toddler groaned at Bride and started to pout at Holly.

"That's fine. Trace... if you want I'll play a rematch with you in the morning." Trace hugged her.

"Uncle Furry will be here then!" Trace ran into Bride's arms and a couple more guys past through the room bidding goodnight to the four.

The four of them went up set of stairs and Bride started down the hallway with the still excited toddler. Vane motioned toward the other direction and the two headed toward the end of the hallway. Vane stopped at the second to last door and opened it to a cozy indigo room.

"You can sleep in here. There's a bathroom right there. And the dining room is right downstairs just off the living room. Goodnight Holly." Holly bid him goodnight and closed the door.

The room was even better than her bedroom at home. The comforter was a dark maroon on a queen sized bed. Even the carpet was more soft than her home's. She placed her suitcase on the stand next to the bed and changed quickly before climbing under the covers. In a matter of seconds she was out cold.

Holly looked around in her dream. The walls were a deep crimson with a cream trim. The windows were boarded up so that no light could get in. Everything in this room looked like it belonged in a museum. Even the chair she was sitting in. She paused as she looked down at the chair... it wasn't the chair that held her attention... it was the outfit she was wearing.

Her shorts and t shirt were both gone replace by a navy blue gown that hugged and showed emphasis to every curve of her body. As she moved a slit in the sides of the gown showed her thigh. 'Alright so I guess I need to take a vacation-', Holly's thoughts were interrupted as she caught sight of the door to the room opening.

Dressed in a black on black ensemble, Prelude walked into the room.

"Um... I think kidnapping is considered illegal." Prelude raised an eyebrow.

"I think you might have hit your head. I didn't bring you here." Holly thought about it until he pulled her into his arms and started to kiss her. She moaned at the feel of her savior surrounding her. She didn't even noticed he was carrying her until he opened the door at the bottom of a metal staircase. She pulled back as he looked hungrily at her.

"Where are we now?" He carried her into the room and closed the door. Candlelight showed a black duvet on an antique bed.

"We're in my room." His gaze made the air in the room energize with sexual energy. She pulled him onto her and captured his lips. Her need desperate and raw. His hands stroked her waist and the small of her back sending chills up her spine and making her needful even more.

His eight pack rippled with his movements. It was intoxicating being so close to him. It was a wonder she hadn't died from lack of oxygen. He pressed her against the bed, cradling her like she was fragile. He trailed his kisses down her chest. She traced the outline of scars that covered his back. They weren't from someone who spent his life in luxury. He grabbed her arms and came back up in a scorching kiss that made her toes curl.

"I love how you feel in my arms." Prelude's gaze met hers as he mumbled against her lips.

"You're not that bad yourself." Holly stroked him with one hand as she looked at him.

He... was... spectacular! If this was real than she was willing to live with it.

She felt him nearing her core. The heat in the room increasing more and more by the second. He was about to enter...

Holly woke up and looked to find she was back in Vane's house. She dragged herself off the bed and got dressed. It was raining down hard outside and the view out the window revealed that it was going to be a drizzly Saturday.

-

Prelude was ready to take Holly right then. She was breathtaking. He was almost to her center when he woke up. His body was standing at full attention. He thought about Shanta. She had been his everything, but Holly... She made his love for Shanta a joke.

A figure twitched to his left. He saw D'spute sitting lazily on his nightstand smirking like he was a child finding dirt on their sibling.

"So you'll never guess what I just heard." Prelude tried to rub away the pain in his erection.

"I'm sure it's fascinating." He looked at the clock. Nine thirty. "It's far too early for me to be awake. Tell me what you want and then leave me in peace." The skoti smiled at him.

"I'm sure you remember ol' Zeus don't ya? Well apparently he's in a rather angry mood. Apparently there's some chick here in New Orleans that has some weird ass ability that cancels out the fates." Prelude took that in. The fates had never been out done by anything except free will. The skoti paused before continuing. "Well, all the pantheon is freaking out. The fates did find though that if she has some-" He paused as he started to hump the air. "-intercourse." Prelude continued to look away. "Then she won't be fully able to use her abilities. Those fates are strict. Anyway, all the big guys are trying to find out what two gods conceived her."

Prelude waited a minute for him to continue. The skoti was still grinning at him and he was still tired after a night full of daimons.

"And you needed to tell me all that because..." The skoti smirked even more.

"I told you cause just now dear Artie just tried to get you to take her." He wiggled off his nightstand and leaned against the wall. "You don't have to wait for her forever. She will have her full potential and be perfectly capable of being laid after about... a week. She's just got about 164 hours until her powers get matured. I guess it's like puberty in a way."

Prelude pinched his nose and tried not to imagine what D'spute was saying. "I get it. You should leave." The skoti stared at the wall for minute before agreeing.

"Yeah, she's up and about now so the others can't try to hook you up again. It looks like you going to have to keep your guard up. Lata loser!" He disappeared as Prelude lay back on the bed. Damn. After all the years of pain. Fates still held him away.

-

Holly sat down at the table next to Bride. There were was at least a half a dozen people at the table. Trace was running from adult to adult trying to get one of them to play. Each of the guys looked to Bride until one of them grabbed the toddler and headed to the living room. Holly and Bride laughed when the poor guy took the first controller and Trace freaked out on him.

"That's Fury or as Trace called him last night Furry." She chuckled as Fury tried not to be too hard on the kid in the game. "So did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah," Holly turned away from the two players and continued to eat. "I slept even better than usual actually- OH!" A guy who looked a lot like Vane accidentally tripped against her chair.

"Sorry," the guy mumbled as he held his leg.

"OH ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Holly got out of her chair and helped him into the chair next to hers. His leg was bleeding. Bride saw the blood and got up as others came into the room. Vane rushed over and started to pull Holly away. The guy stopped him.

"It's fine brother. She didn't do this, there's daimons all over the town. They were popping out of bolt holes everywhere." Bride came over with bandages and Holly rushed to grab some water to wash off some of the blood. The others started to rush out of the house as Vane went to call someone.

"So why are you here?" He winced as Bride poured antiseptic on one of the wounds.

"Savitar brought her here. Obviously he knew something was going to happen." Vane entered the room and sat in one of the chairs.

"Fang, we are going to be taking Holly to the Inferno so Dante can keep an eye on her for Savitar. Ash is apparently trying to find out what's going on."

After one very long call to both her jobs and three rounds of video games with Fury and Trace, Holly brought down her suitcase. Fang was still beaten terribly and Fury decided to take his place in the trip to the Inferno. They still hadn't explained what that was.

The Inferno as it turned out was a bar... in Minnesota. Holly was quite glad she had her coat with her as they walked upstairs above the bar. Another very model like guy was waiting at the top of the stairs and Savitar leaning against the wall. She was surprised to find him in beach clothes.

"I don't think Minnesota has a beach. What, did you lose all your winter clothes in a fight with a girlfriend?" The others snickered as he ignored the comment. Vane and Fury disappeared and the guy held his hand out.

"The name's Dante and feel free to be chilling here as long as you like."


	6. Chapter 5

_**Csoh: I'm sorry! My computer has been infected for a while so I had to work as hard as I could to save my work and fix my computer...It was some dark times... BUT I met Sherrilyn Kenyon and it was AWESOME! So I guess sometimes things have to go wrong before they can go right. **_

_**Acheron: (rolls eyes) Well said.**_

_**Csoh: (smiles) Thanks!**_

_**__________________________)()()()(___________________________________**_

_**Chapter 5:**_

Prelude couldn't stand it. He tossed and turned the whole day. His thoughts always returning to her. She was just so... Prelude got up and looked at the clock. It was almost eleven. He was covered in sweat and his room was stuffy as hell. He walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. He looked his reflection and splashed some water in his face.

After a minute of yawning, scratching, and other common morning habits, he stepped into the shower. It was still cold and he jumped at the change in temperature. He started to soap himself when the door opened. He turned to find himself in the gaze of Holly. She was smirking at him and all his glory- Prelude covered himself with the cloth in his hands.

"Hey there." Holly pealed off her clothes and joined him in the shower. If her staring was awkward, it was nothing compared to her being in there with him. He took a step back from her as she took the cloth away. She sighed. "I'm not planning on having sex with you. I haven't had any yet and I highly doubt I'm going to give myself away to someone who doesn't want me here." Prelude frowned.

"What makes you think I don't want you here." She started to lather his back and legs as he spoke. He felt himself getting hard.

"Well you were just thinking it and the backing away is usually a sign that someone wants to be left alone." She threw the cloth into his hand and jumped out. " Besides I don't think you want to do a virgin." Grabbing her clothes she darted out of the room, leaving him standing in the middle of the spray.

Prelude came awake to find himself in the middle of his room. He got up and quickly changed to go hunting. His dreams were becoming a nuisance for him. He thought about what she had said... she was a virgin. It was odd for someone at her age in the middle of New Orleans. Of course it wasn't like Las Vegas from what he'd heard.

He started towards Bourbon street and stopped when he heard a group of them talking.

"So we need to find this person and bring her to you." The dark-haired guy rubbed his face and sighed.

"Yes, if we can control fate then we can take down the dark-hunters and settle a few other matters..." The other daimons grew excited and a couple more joined the group pulling a figure behind them.

"Stryker! We found she's heading to Minnesota. You know the Inferno place that panther owns." The figure started to plead with the two holding her. Stryker smiled as the two threw the human to the ground. It was time to stop listening and take action.

Prelude threw a half dozen daggers in and caught four of them in the chest. They turned to dust and the leader threw open a bolt hole. Before Prelude could continue to fight, the others jumped into the hole. The woman was left behind. She was in hysterics.

"Who were they looking for!" He pulled the woman up. She was still shacking, but she was clear when she said it.

"...I...they were....Holly Rheia...you have to warn her..." The woman collapsed into his arms and he carried her to the front of the police station. He was tired of all the collapsing victims. He needed to find Holly before the daimons did. He turned a corner and pulled out his phone, speed dialing for Ash. The phone was picked up in the first ring.

"She's with a group of were-hunters she'll be fine." The sounds of a video game filled the background.

"They know where she is. We need to get up there and-"

"What are you going to do, Pre ." The dark-hunter almost yelled into the phone. "I have two dark-hunters up there in the immediate area and she's in a sanctuary. If they try to get to her they'll have to go through all of them up there." Prelude wasn't reassured. The sound of Tory laughing at Ash filled the background.

"I still think that-"

"NO! Now you're making me lose and I have other things to worry about than a love sick dark-hunter." Acheron hung up the phone and Prelude cursed himself. His insides were in overdrive and he started to see red. He punched the wall of the building next to him and felt his fist pounding. A breese came through the alley as a figure appeared.

"Do you want to be moved to watch her?" Artemis rubbed his fist that was in pain and he started to feel relieved.

"We need to." He looked down at the red-headed goddess. She was still the same as he remembered. She nodded.

"Alright. Go ahead and keep an eye on her. I don't want any humans to get hurt due to the daimons." Prelude found himself in the cold out front of a bar. A sign that read THE INFERNO in bright red neon hung above the door as he hurried inside to warm up. He felt his powers starting to drain. A dark-hunter was already inside.

"Hey you new in town." The red-haired former greek queen headed over toward him. "Prelude? I thought they had transferred you to New Orleans." He continued to look around for Holly.

"Artemis needs me to keep an eye on someone." Corbin looked skeptically at him for a minute before shrugging.

"Whatever. All I know is that my powers are draining. If you're staying here, I'm leaving." Prelude finally caught sight of the brunette as she sat at the bar talking to a waitress.

"Yeah, I'll see you later." Corbin walked towards the exit and Prelude headed over towards the bar.

Holly's hormones started to flare drastically as she talked to Dante's wife Pandora. She scanned the room until she found the source of her hormonal rush. He was at the bar and he was staring straight at her.

"Um. Pandora?" Pandora turned and she looked at Holly. "Do you mind if I mingle for a while?"

"Of course not. Just remember what Savitar said about them." Holly laughed at the reference to Savitar's no boys lecture.

"Yeah yeah. Boys are poison." Pandora laughed and others at the counter started to order drinks. Holly walked as calmly as she could toward the dark-hunter when in reality she wanted to run and jump into his lap and take him right there. She sat across from him. "Hey. I didn't think you guys were allowed to move around at a moments notice."

"...I wanted to see you again."

Prelude felt like cursing when he told her the truth. He had been ready to sit the whole night away from her. He was going to keep close but not this close to her. Her presence was sending his being into overdrive and he felt himself starting to stand erect at her closeness.

"Oh... Well...Er...Okay then. I guess you're in the right place for that aren't you." She smiled faintly at him and her leg found his under the table. A thousand chills ran up from her leg as he looked at her.

"Art...Artemis allowed me to move up so that I could keep an eye on you." She rolled her eyes as he stuttered. His insides were on fire. He couldn't stay in place for long.

"Somehow I doubt a goddess of the hunt would give a crap about my welfare." She looked skeptically at the dark-hunter.

"She's not that bad..."

"I'm sure all of you guys just adore having her force you to live eternity in the darkness, fighting daimons." She knew a lot more than before.

"And where did you come across this information?" She met his gaze. Her steel-blue eyes shining at the question.

"Savitar told me most of it. The were-hunters also know quite a bit about you guys." Figured.

"She has her moments like anyone else." Holly sighed and leaned back in her chair. A few strands of her hair fell in front of her face. Prelude felt himself lean in to push it away. He stopped himself and her leg rubbed against him as he moved. She looked up him from under her eyelashes.

"Problem?" He gazed at her for a moment before giving in to the overwhelming need. He brushed the stands away and his hand lingered at her cheek.

"Yeah...I have a five foot problem that won't let me breathe without her." Her cheeks flushed with color making her even more tempting. He felt his self control slipping as he gazed into her eyes. The blue in her eyes almost swirling as he waited for her to respond. She moved closer, their faces mere inches away, and then...

Holly leaned back as she realized what she was doing. She couldn't have him. He was a dark-hunter and she wasn't. The dark-hunters couldn't have lasting romances and she really couldn't fight with a goddess to get him away. Prelude leaned back looking like he was thinking similar thoughts.

Holly looked over at where Pandora was serving drinks with Dante. If they had seen anything, they didn't show it. She was glad Savitar had left earlier. If he had been there... It would have been bad! She looked back at her gorgeous dark-hunter.

"So you're going to be around the whole week." Prelude zoned back into the conversation.

"I was planning on it." She figured he would.

"Okay. Then I have a question." He hesitated a moment.

"Very well."

"Why are you really keeping me safe?" Prelude looked at her.

"It's my job to keep humans safe from daimons and right now you're a large target." She shook her head.

"I'm in a sanctuary and I'm staying inside the place until this all blows over, so that answer isn't good enough."

Prelude tried to find a reason for his need to keep her safe. He knew that he couldn't have her, but he still felt the need to protect her. He glanced at the clock. It would be daylight in a few hours.

"If you'll excuse me I have to get a room before the sun comes up." He stood up and forced himself to walk away from her. His insides kicking him for not telling her why.

Holly watched him walk away. His backside was sinfully gorgeous and a few women watched him and looked at her with distaste. She didn't blame them. The guy was the personification of sexual paradise. Holly stood up and headed to her room after saying good night to Pandora. The panther wished her good night and continued to work with her husband.

Holly lay back on her bed and thought about her discussion with Savitar.

_"You're joking right?" Savitar looked dead serious as he stared at her. _

_"I never joke. You can't have any intercourse until your powers develop all the way." She thought that was what he'd said. _

_"Um. I don't think that will be much of a problem." Savitar leaned back on the other side of the desk.  
"Artemis is going to be making tries to get you with one of her dark-hunters, the daimons will be annoying you, but from what Urian said-"_

_"**URINE**?!" Dante laughed really hard at that until Savitar gave him a cold glare and he left the room. _

_"Urian. According to him the daimons just want you out of the way. Apparently their leader is worried you might release Apollimy." Holly remembered hearing about that person._

_"Isn't Apollimy my mom? Why would someone lock her up?" Savitar sighed loudly._

_"Yes, but she is also the destroyer and she was locked up so the humans wouldn't be killed." _

_"That's stereotyping! I bet she's not all bad. I'm guessing she is probably the nicest person anyone could ever meet." Savitar shook his head and smirked. _

_"You have a terrible sense of humor." Holly laughed at him._

_"I wonder where I get it from..." Savitar's face grew serious as he looked up at her._

_"You need to stay inside this place until your powers are matured. And you need to-"_

_"I get it. Boys are bad and the bar is good. I think I'll be fine." He stared at her, keeping his gaze locked with hers._

_"Don't think you'll be fine. BE fine." Dante and a brunette stood behind her as she watched __Savitar pop out of the room. _

Holly got up and got ready for bed. She didn't feel any different. Maybe the whole 'powers' business was just a bunch of hoopla. She settled the blinds to cover the windows completely and settled down to sleep. She was too hyped up by what was happening to fall asleep though. Then she heard the voice. It was a quiet voice of a woman. Holly looked around for a vent that could be carrying the sound or someone hiding in the room. There was nothing. Yet the voice continued to call out.

_Apostolos._

The voice sounded friendly enough. Holly decided to try and talk to the person.

_I don't think he's answering right now._

Holly felt like an idiot thinking to a voice in her head. The voice went quiet for a minute, Holly lay back on the bed and started to try and sleep when...

_Who are you._

That was the question of the ages wasn't it.

_My name is Holly Tochter Rheia and I'm really tired._

The voice scoffed at her.

_Rheia is a joke for a titan goddess._

_And I suppose you know her._

_HOW DARE YOU! I am the goddess of destruction._

_Oh. That's cool... WAIT! You're Apollimy?!_

_Of course you silly girl! Who else could I be._

Holly fell off the bed. Her arm throbbed as she heard the voice confirm its identity.

_I KNOW YOU!_

The voice sounded tired of her.

_I don't have time to be playing your games._

_NO NO! My father Savitar told me that you are my mother._

The voice in her head went quiet and Holly waited for it to respond... It didn't. Holly rubbed her arm as she lay in bed until she finally went to sleep.

Savitar lay on his beach when he saw Apollimy's shade glaring at him. She was upset.

"Acheron is fine and he's at home with Tory-" He noticed that she looked even more upset at him. There was no way...

"I spoke to Holly." SHITT! Who in their right mind told her about Holly! The idiot! Apollimy had probably talked to Holly about everything. Savitar straightened up as the goddess seethed.

"I was going to tell you-"

"SILENCE! Why wasn't I allowed to have her?!" He felt the impact of her yelling like a punch to the gut.

"The Fates had set in place that-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT THOSE BRATS SAID! You know how I felt after Apostolos was taken from me." She was hurt. Her shade disappeared from his beach he sensed she was inside her chambers in Kalosis. She was in tears. He sighed before disappearing into her chambers.

"Apollimy..." The goddess glared at him angrily as he walked up to her. He shouldn't have had feelings for her, but he felt himself drawn to her. Sat down in front of her and gazed into her swirling mercury eyes.

"Is she... Can she come here?" Apollimy forced her tears away as she straightened up.

"Yes she can. From what the oracles have told me her powers work against the fates . I don't know the full extent though. We won't find out for a while." Apollimy bit her lip as more tears threatened to fall.

"She can... stop those brats?" He nodded and her face glowed brightly as she thought. "I want to see her." Savitar froze.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Csoh: (sighs) It's been a very long day... Why do applications have to be so LONG!!! Also suffering from lactose overload (I'm lactose intolerant).**_X_X ...**_ ^_^ On the bright side I have nothing to steal me away from my computer!_**

_**__________________________________________________)()(______________________________**_

_**Chapter 6:**_

__Apollymi looked down at her guest. He was an enigma. He would never tell her what he was thinking and he would never say. Yet here he sat telling her the truth? She needed to see the young woman herself. The girl's powers needed to hurry up and develop.

"Apollymi... You know that your daimons would try to get at her if I brought her to you. Her abilities aren't fully developed and they bleed from every fiber of her being." She should have guessed to he too would refuse to let her see her young. "You know that I want you to know her." Apollymi gazed at him. He stood up with his muscles flexing elegantly on every part of him.

"Why don't I believe you." His gaze softened as he looked at her.

"Then you would have to trust me. Something we both wouldn't do in your place." Footsteps sounded towards the chambers as he started to fade. She looked over as the door opened, revealing Stryker and his close fighters. The arrogant bastard walked into the room. Any signs of its former occupant gone.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Stryker bowed and looked up at the goddess.

"The guards said that they heard voices..."

"BE GONE AT ONCE!!!" Stryker turned and his group looked quizzically at him. He motioned them out. The arrogant prick thought she didn't know what he was planning. She leaned back and tried to reach her newfound daughter.

_Holly._

She waited several minutes before,

_I thought you had left._

_Only for a few minutes._

_Hours actually, but that's fine. I was tired. What do you need._

_Can you come here._

_Um... That might be a little hard seeing as I have no idea where 'here' is._

_Kalosis._

_Gazuntite._

Apollymi rolled her eyes. Youth.

_It's the Atlantean underworld. _

_Oh. So all I have to do is find Atlantis. That'll be easy I'm sure there's a good lunatic that can show me the way._

_SILENCE! _

She was getting tired of the child's humor. She was definitely Savitar's daughter, easily getting under her skin.

_Sorry. I'm kinda new to the whole 'gods are real and you have super powers' thing. So where would I find cool a sis. _

_Kalosis._

_Right. Where is that?_

_You have to teleport here._

_I see. I really don't actually know how to teleport though so that might be just a little bit challenging..._

_Do you know my son?_

_I have a brother?!_

_Apostolos._

_So that's who that was. I was wondering what you were saying... I can't say I know him by that name. _

_His wife and friends call him Acheron._

_Acheron Parthenopaeus?!_

_Yes._

_Oh...OH...He's my brother?_

_YES!_

_Sorry. Obviously gods don't have senses of humor- Yes I know Acheron._

_His wife can bring you here._

_Um...It might be...oh say...a few days before I can visit._

_Excuse me?_

_Don't get me wrong I want to meet you in person terribly. But Savitar has told me to stay put and as much as I am for rebelling...I need to stay here where I'm safe._

_I can keep you safe._

_I love you too._

Apollymi nearly stopped breathing when she heard her say that.

_Apollymi?_

_What did you say?_

_I said Apollymi._

_BEFORE THAT_

_I said I love you too._

_…_

_I'm guessing no one says that to you._

_Of course they do you silly child!_

_Oh. I am going to leave for a while._

_Fine. _

_I love you mom._

Apollymi stared out into her chambers as she heard her daughter's farewell. She was going to have to keep the daimons in line.

Holly headed into the sun soaked room where a couple with their two kids were talking to the Pontis clan. Dante looked up and called her over.

"Holly! This is Wulf, Cassandra, and their two children." Holly shook hands with the couple and went to grab some breakfast. The bar was almost completely empty and by the time she had finished eating the costumers had all left except for Wulf''s family and the Pontis clan.

Most of the panthers were cleaning as she watched Pandora and Dante speak with the couple. She couldn't help feeling like an outsider. The others all had someone to rely on and yet she had to keep to herself.

_I could protect you._

Apollymi probably could keep her safe, but she really wasn't in the mood for traveling away from the Inferno and getting all the way to New Orleans. She sighed and without being aware of it found herself traveling toward the basement.

Prelude had gotten a basement room. Despite what the panthers said about their rooms upstairs being sunlight proof, he'd had too much experience with betrayal to trust the weres. He had waited until almost dawn and then had traveled to his room. He found it was barren for the most part besides a bed and nightstand. It was foolish of him to be here, he knew that and yet...

Prelude lay on top of the bed. It was nothing like his own at home. The bed whined at his weight. He closed his eyes to try and get some sleep when the door opened. His new weakness walking in. Her scent sent his being into a frenzy. It surrounded him in warmth and he had fight the need that overtook him. Holly was just too tempting.

She crawled onto the bed which moaned harder at them and snuggled into his arms. She remained silent as they lay there, neither one shifting or pulling away. He looked down at her. Her hair was glinting in the candlelight that lit the room, but it wasn't her looks that made him even more tempted it was her emotions that were pouring out of her. She was lonely as could be. Every part of her was aching for someone to be with.

"How did you find me?" She gazed up at him with her even more swirling stormy blue eyes.

"...I have no clue..." She moved up his chest and leaned her forehead against his. Her scent of roses and cherry blossoms invading him as she kissed him.

Holly couldn't believe what she was doing. She should have headed upstairs and back to her room, but here Prelude was in her arms. His sophisticated and manly scent pushing away all her loneliness. He alone made her feel welcome.

He pulled her closer as he returned her kiss with every ounce of strength she had pushed at him. She felt him roll over on top of her. His muscles pressing on her lightly. His arms formed barriers that made her feel more safe than she had felt all night. She freed his hair and it fell against his shoulders. He moved down from her mouth and headed to her center. She should have been stopping him. She should have been running... But she wasn't going to leave him alone. Not right now anyway.

Prelude felt her nervousness. She was uncertain about what they were doing. He moved back up her chest and kissed her again, sending all her thoughts away as she got distracted. She had a body made for him. She was his sanctuary, his home, and he intended to be permanently checked-in. He started to pull down her pants when...

The door flew open and Prelude was thrown off the bed and smashing into the floor. He felt his ribs aching and looked up to find Savitar picking Holly off the bed. She looked away as he pulled the door shut.

Holly tried not to glance at her father. He was probably pissed at her for doing something so stupid. Her thoughts went away from Savitar as she thought about Prelude.

"He'll be fine. You should be more concerned about staying away from him." She looked up at the angry surfer.

"I was going to let him go that far."

"Let me guess, you were going to stop him by laying on his bed and spreading your legs."

She ignored his sarcasm. "Why don't you just lock me up too." Savitar looked down at Holly. She felt like an idiot throwing out her frustration at him, but gods he was getting to her. He opened the door to her room and threw her onto her bed.

"I didn't lock Apollymi away." He still wore that serious look to his face.

"I know better...I just..." She felt another presence in the room. She stared at Savitar as he felt it too. Then the screaming began.

The Inferno was being attacked. Holly and Savitar rushed down to find the panthers fighting with daimons. It was getting serious fast. One daimon lit the counter on fire as the others continued to fight. The fire headed towards the basement. Holly realized what would happen if it reached all the way down there.

Savitar turned to find his daughter running down the stairs into the basement of the building. He needed to regain order to the sanctuary, but her presences was blocking his eye into the future. She needed to be moved again and fast.

Prelude finished wrapping up his ribs while he thought about Holly. He was going to be stuck being at a distance. He needed to rethink this whole mess. He smelled smoke. The upstairs was quiet due to the soundproof walls. He turned and saw something that sent his thoughts flying. His room was on fire! The bed burning fast as the nightstand remained somewhat unburnt. The door was smashed open as Holly rushed in. He felt the fumes dulling his senses. He felt her arms as she pulled him away from the fire. Then everything went black.

Holly pulled the dark-hunter out of the room. Savitar's face was impassive as he hurried over to them.

"We need to get out of here."

"You can't take him with you."

"He can't stay here with the place burning to the ground."

"Artemis will just have to save him."

"You told me she doesn't give a damn about her dark-hunters."

"You need to be moved."

"Fine, but he comes too." Savitar looked furiously at the woman before grabbing onto her shoulder.

"Tell your mother that then." The bar and Savitar disappeared as Holly found herself in a large black chamber. Prelude still in her arms. Holly set him down gently against the black tiles. He was breathing hard and his pulse was erratic. She looked around the room for some water or someone. The room had a large throne. Next to it was a small table with a black cloth and pillow on it. The rest of the room consisted of a large sun symbol on the floor and three steps that led to the throne. Otherwise it was empty.

Holly sat down beside her dark-hunter and inspected him for damage. Besides the slightly charred arm and breathing issue. He was unharmed. He needed something done though and soon. She headed towards a doorway that looked to head outside. She pushed open the doors and saw a woman staring into a pond.

The woman looked to be maybe middle twenties. She had white hair though and was wearing a long black dress. As Holly moved towards her she noticed the woman looked very upset. Or frustrated at something. Holly didn't want to bother the woman, but Prelude was in need of medical attention.

"Um...Excuse me." The woman looked up at her. She had some unusual silver eyes that were narrowed in her direction. "I'm really sorry to bother you, but I have no idea where I am and I need some help."

"..." The woman stood up and gave her a hard once over. She walked up to her and walked once around her. Holly started to feel a little annoyed.

"Okay, obviously you're not going to help me so-"

"You're in Kalosis Holly." Holly wouldn't have been more stunned had the woman slapped her.

"Kalosis. Atlantean underworld. Home of the daimons." Holly was interrupted when she was pulled into a hug. "I'm guessing you're Apollymi." The goddess let go.

"Of course I am. Who else could be me." Holly hugged her again until she remembered the forgotten dark-hunter.

"Right! So I have a problem at hand I could use your assistance with." The goddess nodded.

"Savitar already handled the daimons that attacked that dreary building." Holly felt slightly relieved for the panthers.

"That's not the problem. I have a friend with me and he got some smoke in his lungs." They headed back into the throne room and Apollymi saw the dark-hunter.

"What is a servant of Artemis doing in _my_ temple!" She sounded pissed.

"Please help him. He saved me from daimons and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here."

"He serves the bitch goddess."

"And he saved my life." Apollymi stared hard at her before softening her gaze.

"If he hurts you..."

"He won't. I'm the daughter of the destroyer, lets see him take me down." The goddess smiled at her before walking over to Prelude and touching his arm. The charred parts of his arm slowly disappeared as his breathing evened out.

"You like him." Holly looked at her, "don't you."

"...he's a dark-hunter. They have to serve Artemis for eternity and can't have romances."

"Screw the bitch and her rules." Holly looked down at the unconscious man.

"I do like him...a lot."

The doors to the side of the room opened as two monsters walked in. Their bodies were black scaled and they had wings that came out of their backs. Holly jumped behind the goddess. The goddess addressed the pair of them.

"I want her in the home next to Katra's." The demons nodded and waited for their charge to follow.

"Are they safe?"

"The charonte demons will not dare to hurt you. You are my daughter and to hurt you is to wish harm on me." Holly pulled the unconscious dark-hunter into her arms again.

"Okay that makes me feel a bit better." One of the demons pulled Prelude out of her arms. "HEY!"

"Relax child. They are going to carry him for you." Holly wasn't sure about the place.

"Alright. I give. Take me to the domicile." Apollymi bid her goodnight and watched as Holly, Prelude, and the demons left.

Apollymi returned to her throne and pulled her son's pillow to her chest.

_Apostolos._

_Yes Mother._

_I have something I need to tell you._

_What's going on._

_You have a sister._

_WHAT!_

Acheron fell off the chair he was sitting in. Tory looked at him as her friends laughed. He looked at his wife and excused himself away from lunch.

_Who is she?_

_She knows you. Holly Rheia._

_WHAT!_

_YOU WILL NOT YELL AT ME!_

_Forgive me. This is just very surprising to me. I knew she was Savitar's daughter- you've been sleeping with Savitar!_

_Do you think I'm too old to be sleeping with other gods._

_Savitar's a god?_

_Apostolos. She brought one of that bitch's servants to me._

_Prelude. _

_I don't like it._

_I'll talk to her... I gotta go mother._

Acheron walked back over as Tory and her friends got up to leave.

"What happened to you Ash? Here we planned on having lunch with both of you and you disappear for most the meal."

"Family matter. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you guys had a good time without me."

"Pam got hit on while you were gone." Pam looked at Tory and left with the other friend. The waiter that served them looking after her. Tory and Ash walked around the corner before Tory stopped him. "What's going on Acheron."

"You remember how Savitar is actually Holly's father."

"Yes."

"She also is my mother's daughter." Tory looked bewildered at him.

"But that would mean-"

"Yes, Holly is my sister."

Tory felt his confusion and hugged him gently. He was going to need some time to think about all this. The Simi was sleeping quietly on his arm and she traced the tattoo for a few minutes before looking up at his mercury eyes.

"So when should we tell Kat."


	8. Chapter 7

_**Csoh: Hey! So we're talking 1 on 1 Prelude/Holly time. I haven't really gotten into detail about much of either's past and they haven't been together for a long enough time. (sigh. I really wanted to go all out on that fluff scene). U_U **_

_**_____________________________________)()(-)()(__________________________________**_

_**Chapter 7:**_

_Holly couldn't understand why her mother was doing this. Her little brother ran inside. "Why am I not allowed to see you guys anymore." Her mother glared at her, her hatred pouring out in waves. _

_"You are not a part of this family. You never were. I allowed you to live here since you were little, but since you think you know best. GO! Have a GRAND time trying to live in the real world." She threw a ten dollar bill at Holly. "This should be enough for a couple meals. Have a good life." Her mother turned around and shut the door. Holly ran to the door and started banging on it. Her little brother opened the window. _

_"You're not my sister so GO AWAY!" He shut the window. Holly ran towards Nate's house, he would be able to help her. She pulled up short as she saw him lip locked with her best friend Laura. _

_"Nate!" He looked over at Holly. _

_"Holly think of it this way. I don't think your even the least bit cute and your friend Laura here... Well she's smokin' hot. Besides your family hates me so it works out. So why don't you go and keep trying to please mommy dearest." Holly kicked him and ran away. Laura's and Nate's laughter following after. Tears falling down her face as she ran to her elder brother's. _

_How could everyone do this? Why did she always end up getting crushed by everyone? It started to rain as she made it to her brother's. Leopold wasn't home so she sat and let her emotions consume her. _

_After a whole night in the freezing cold rain, Leo ran up to the house._

_"Holly? What the hell are you doing here?" Holly started to cry again as she looked at him. _

_"I was disowned yesterday-" Leo interrupted her._

_"I know that. Although to be fair you were never really a family member." He opened the door and pulled her in. _

_"What the heck does that mean!" Leo threw his guitar on the couch and threw a couple suitcases and her cello at her. _

_"Mom left these yesterday morning in case you came here. I'm not even suppose to let you in."_

_"Leo, what do you mean I'm not family!" Holly felt herself falling apart at the seams. _

_"We found you when you got in that car crash. The doctors didn't know who you belonged to and since no family ever came for you, father took you into the family." Holly felt fresh tears at the mention of their dead father._

_"So-"_

_"Yeah since dad died last week, mom is taking things into her own hands and that means you're gone. She doesn't like you you know." Holly nodded. That had always been obvious. Leopold continued, "I can't help you. I want to, but I can't. All I know is that dad said he found this when they pulled you out of the wreck." He slipped a piece of paper into her hand. Written in ink was two words, the sides of the paper were burnt._

_**Acheron Parthenopaeus **_

_"Who or what is-"_

_"Dad asked you when they pulled you out. All you kept saying was Savitar's friend. I assumed you knew about all this." Holly shook her head. _

_"I told you I can't remember anything before that day. I was distraught." Leo turned to her._

_"What are you going to do?" _

_"I don't know. I think I need to get as far away as possible from mother. If I'm not welcome then I'm not staying." Leo nodded and pulled out a pair of keys and a couple hundreds from his pocket. "Leo I can't-"_

_"Shut up and listen. Peter gave me the money after I won a bet and the car is just a piece of crap from a garage down the road that was going to scrap it. I'll never see you again, Holly. After you leave in a minute, we will never be able to speak again. I just needed to thank you for all that you've done for me. Without you, I never would have been able to sneak out and play at night and that night you pretended to be me so that mom wouldn't yell at me..." He threw the keys into her hands. Holly choked back tears. This was too much too fast. Why? Why did it have to be this way. Leo pulled her to the door. "Goodbye Holly." The door shut behind her and she broke down. Holly dragged her things with her to the car and threw them in the back. She started to drive. Each sign a reminder of what she was leaving behind. _

_Finally she parked in front of a apartment complex in New Orleans. She rented an apartment and enrolled in a university. She watched as everyone else went home for holidays, as families came and went around the town. Each one a stab to the heart for her. She felt herself growing more depressed..._

Prelude awakened from the nightmare of Holly's past...or not. He didn't know for sure that it was even real. He stared up into darkness until he recalled what had happened at the nightclub. The fire, he sat up to find himself on the couch of a bedroom. Holly was tossing and turning, tears streaming down her face as she slept.

He ran over to the bedside and pulled her into his arms. She woke up and looked up at him. "Prelude?" He hugged her close as she wiped her eyes.

"Holly... How did you end up in New Orleans." She looked up and he saw she was fighting back tears again.

"I... My family disowned me and my boyfriend deserted me so I drove down to New Orleans to get away." The nightmare had been real. He embraced her tighter as she started to cry.

"Holly... don't cry. I don't even know what's going on or where we are so please don't cry." She stopped and looked up at him.

"We're in Kalosis." He froze at the name.

"WHAT!?!"

"Relax. The daimons are elsewhere and there are two demons that are guarding the door to this house." He sat down next to her on the bed as she snuggled up next to him. "You saw my past with your dark-hunter abilities didn't you." He nodded. "So how did you end up a dark-hunter?"

Holly watched as he tried to pull away and hide the hurt in his eyes. She wasn't going to let him get away that easily. She held fast he looked at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

"We should get out of here."

"Prelude, your trying to dodge the question. You can trust me. Please, tell me."

"So what! Why do you want to know. There's nothing in the past that will make this," he motioned to the room, "any different. You have seen betrayal. That is how I became a dark-hunter." He was hurt. Holly felt terrible for sticking the nerve. She clenched her fists as she started to cry again.

"I had Savitar bring you with me so that you would be saved from the fire. I ran to save you from the fire because I found that I have feelings for you. You're right I have seen betrayal and I know how it hurts to be alone and," she paused as she felt herself getting angry, "for some stupid reason I thought that maybe you wouldn't be like most assholes in the world. Obviously though I was wrong." She got up and ran out of the room. Holly headed for the kitchen. She was hungry and it would be better than staying up there with that jerk.

Prelude sighed before opening the door and walking over to Holly. "Shanta." She looked up at him as he sat across from her at the table and looked at her. "I became a dark-hunter after being betrayed by my love Shanta's family." Holly nearly choked.

"I'm sorry."

"It was during the 1600's. I moved to France from Germany and my family was considered outcasts. We didn't have much throughout my childhood, but then I met Shanta. She was a musician at Paris. Her family hated me. They thought my family was filled with witches and in the end..." He thought back to the bloodshed. Shanta's family had butchered his without mercy and Shanta's death had been terrible. The worst part had been when he had found his little sister had stabbed him...as she died. Her betrayal mixed with Shanta's family had caused his current situation.

"So Shanta's family betrayed you?" His thoughts were pulled back to the present.

"Yes, they had told me that they loved Shanta and me and we believed them. They rallied Paris into killing Shanta as she performed." He watched as Holly grimaced.

"That's terrible! So I'm guessing Prelude is not your real first name."

"No, and everyone knows it's not. Ash is the only one who knows it besides me and I don't make a habit of telling others."

Holly nodded even though she felt like asking. His steel gray eyes shined mischievously as he looked at her. "You're not even going to ask?" She smiled.

"If you don't want me to know then I won't ask." He leaned close and Holly found that he was mere inches from her face as she too was leaning forward. His smile turned her breathless as he got closer.

"So you do want to know." All She could do was nod as his lips moved in to reach hers.

"NO!" Prelude went flying back toward the wall as Apollymi entered the room. Her swirling silver eyes narrowed at Prelude. Holly intercepted before she could do anything.

"MOM! It's fine he wasn't going to do anything."

"He won't after I'm through with him."

"If he gets bad I'll feed him to the demons." One of the demons poked his head up to look in the window. Apollymi calmed down.

"Fine, but none of that." She turned and left. Holly ran over to Prelude, he held up his hand to stop her.

"Let's not bring her back. It seems your family isn't keen on my being here either." Holly saw the hurt. This must be like what happened with Shanta. Holly stood back as he got up. He rubbed his back and looked up at her. His barriers started to come up as he settled into a chair and ignored her.

The silence continued for minutes as they ate and cleaned of their dishes, finally Holly couldn't take it anymore.

"Marco." He looked at her confused. "Your name, is it Marco?"

"No. You're not even close." He set the last plate in the cupboard and sat at the table.

"It's not a girl's name is it."

"Do I look like a girl?" She ignored his sarcasm.

"Herold."

"No." She went quiet as she thought. "Why not try the name Hieronymus."

"That sounds stupid, let me think." Prelude could believe her. He tells her his name and what does she say, it's stupid?!

"Rick. You could be a Rick."Prelude raised an eyebrow.

"Hieronymus is stupid, but Rick is completely fascinating." Holly laughed at him.

"You're name is Hieronymus? I can see why you call yourself Prelude." He tried not to strangle her, but it was hard.

"Of course Rick is a much better name." She sat on the counter and smirked at him.

"It doesn't sound like some exotic disease." He rolled his eyes. She was ridiculous.

"Naturally Holly Rheia sounds nothing like gonorrhea." To his surprise Holly laughed even harder.

"I guess you saw my memory of my elder brother's insult name for me." He watched as she tried to hide the hurt she felt, but he felt every bit of it like it was his own.

"Yeah, and yet you helped him sneak out at your expense." She turned serious.

"Naturally. I didn't care what happened to me. I was young and busy trying to get guys to go out with me."

"And I'm just another guy to you." She threw a bowl at him. He caught it and threw it on the table.

"NO! Unlike then I don't need others opinions to make myself happy."

"Just mom and dad's right?" If looks could kill, Prelude was damn glad he was a dark-hunter. Holly glared angrily at him. She was pissed beyond belief.

"I wanted to find my real family so that I could learn more about my past. You don't understand the hurt I went through as I watched the others around me be able to talk about their family when I didn't even know anything about mine. I was picked on constantly for it and I learned to keep everyone away. How dare you think you've summed me up after we only met the other day." Holly ran out of the room as Prelude took what she said to heart. She was wrong. He did understand better than anyone the hurt. It was what he had felt when he had become a dark-hunter. He turned to follow after Holly.

"Why are you after Holly so badly?" Prelude turned to find himself facing Ash or a shade?

"Acheron?"

"Answer me Hieronymus." Prelude sighed. "She's not Shanta. Artemis is just playing you against Apollymi and Savitar."

"Artemis has nothing to do with this and I know that Holly is not Shanta. It doesn't matter to me." Ash looked less than convinced.

"What are you planning on doing." It wasn't a question.

"I don't care if I have to wait months for her powers to finish developing. I-"

"Don't be a fool, Hieronymus. Get away now before you end up hurting both you and Holly."

"You don't believe I'm good enough for her do you." Acheron glared at him with his mercuric eyes. His gaze sending chills throughout Prelude.

"Hieronymus, I doubt every word you've spoken." He faded out of the room, leaving Prelude alone in Kalosis.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Csoh: Crap. I hate angst as much as the next person. Poor Hieronymus...he he Hieronymus is a german and ancient greek name... he he. Fun. ^_^**_

_**________________________________)()())()()()()()()()(()()()()()()(________________________**_

_**Chapter 8:**_

__Holly couldn't believe Prelude...Hieronymus...whatever. She started run up the stairs when she heard Acheron talking to Prelude. She heard when he said he would wait as long as it takes. She thought about it. She only had about one more day. It had been five days since she had brought him to Kalosis. She ran down the stairs and ran into the room after a few minutes of silence.

She saw Prelude sitting in the same chair she had left him in. He looked up at her and she stopped in her tracks. He had built up his defense.

"Holly..."

"..." She didn't know what to say. He stood up, his eyes never leaving hers.

"APOLLYMI!" Apollymi appeared in the room looking less than pleased. Holly was worried.

"What do you want." Prelude turned to her.

"I want out of Kalosis immediately." Holly felt like she had been stabbed, her body wouldn't respond. Apollymi nodded and a hole appeared in the room.

"WAIT!" Holly found the energy to yell before he left. Prelude turned to her.

"Don't make this any harder, liebling." He turned and started into the hole.

"I LOVE YOU, HIERONYMUS!"

Prelude felt his insides killing him as he left her. She screamed after him as Apollymi held her back and the bolt-hole closed behind him. He was back at his home, but inside he was lost. Holly's words kept echoing in his head. The phone rang and Prelude ran to get it.

"Pre, thank gods I finally reached you. Why haven't you been answering for the past six days. Do you have any idea how much shit I've been going through. Anyway, I was told that I'm to get a dark-hunter to work for and I was thinking since your around my neck of the woods..."

Prelude wasn't listening. "That's fine, Ferdinand." Prelude listened as the squire thanked him and hung up. Then he thought of something. It had been almost a week. Holly's powers were almost done maturing. If he went back then she would be able to be with him.

"ARTEMIS!" The red-haired goddess appeared in front of him looking pleased.

"I'm guessing we had a good night with Holly."

"I need you to get me back in Kalosis." By the look of hatred on Artemis's face you would have thought he had hit her.

"You had sex with the freak didn't you?!"

"Of course not then her powers wouldn't work yet." Artemis whipped him with a force that would have killed a human.

"YOU IDIOT! THAT WAS THE POINT OF YOUR BEING AROUND HER!" She drew the whip back to hit him again. "Do you think for one second that I give a rat's butt what happens to her? I would kill her if I got the chance! No I wanted you to eliminate her abilities. No one is allowed to cancel out the fates." She continued to beat him. He felt her getting closer to his bow and arrow mark. He needed to get away from her fast.

"I don't care what you do to me. If you hurt Holly, I will kill you."

Prelude pushed the foyer bench sending it speeding towards the goddess. She stopped it and pulled out a medallion.

"I OWN YOU! You won't live to regret this. That I promise you." She threw the medallion to the ground and smashed it. Prelude felt his insides burst in pain. He crumbled to the floor.

Holly couldn't believe the nerve of Prelude. He just walked away as she told him how she felt. It was like she didn't even matter. Apollymi had held her while she cried. Finally Holly pulled away.

"Thanks. I needed to get that out of my system." Apollymi looked at her.

"You should go after him." Holly looked up and saw the hurt in her mother's eyes.

"No. It won't do any good. I can't offer him anything except reason to go running. Besides, I have others in my life that are important to me." Apollymi shook her head.

"He didn't want to leave. That bitch goddess and his pact with her made him leave." Holly looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"He knows that as long as he's a dark-hunter he can't be with you. So he left before he caused you to love him." Holly went numb at the news. Apollymi opened another hole. Holly hugged her before jumping in. She found herself in Prelude's kitchen.

Holly ran out of the kitchen and into the foyer. The sight she saw made her blood run cold. A woman was furiously beating up Prelude. His eyes stared out into nothingness. He was dead.

"NO!" Holly ran to her dark-hunter as the woman looked up. Holly pulled Prelude into her arms. She tried to shake him up, make him do something.

_Please don't let him be dead! PLEASE!_

"He's dead." Holly looked up at the woman.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" The woman didn't even blink.

"I am the goddess Artemis not a you. And you are baked bread." Holly's insides screamed as she tried to wake up Prelude. She pulled him close, his blood running onto her legs from his back.

"It's toast you bitch!" Holly released Prelude and knocked the bitch goddess's legs out from under her. Artemis went tumbling to the ground. Holly took the chance to yank on her hair. The goddess cried out.

"You ignorant-" Holly silenced her with a drop-kick to the stomach. Artemis grabbed her leg and thrust her towards the door. Tears and blood running down her face, Holly rushed back at Artemis. She wasn't going to get away with what she did. Catching Artemis by the hair again, Holly sent her up into the air and smashing into a wall.

"Bitch." Artemis disappeared. Holly ran back to Prelude and fell onto his chest. His heart wasn't beating and he had no pulse.

"NO NO NO! It wasn't suppose to be this way. I loved you dammit." She felt a surge of heat as she continued to cry. She didn't move, her Hieronymus was dead.

Prelude felt the darkness around him. He had no idea what was going on. He tried to run, but he couldn't move. Then he heard Holly, she was crying above him. He tried to shout to her. He wanted to tell her not to cry, he was fine. He tried to run to her. His body wasn't responding. Still he tried and tried. Surely he wasn't dead.

He felt pain invade his skull. Everything started to turn red as pain racked his body. The pain radiated everywhere and he could try to escape. He heard Holly's sobs as the pain took over. He tried again and again to shout, "Holly!" It was to no avail. Then he felt himself lose consciousness.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Csoh: NO!!! PRELUDE!...Hieronymus...(leaves room, eats dinner, watches movie, pets cat, watches another movie, finishes dark-hunter book, brushes teeth)...**_

_**(Seven Hours Later)**_

_**Csoh: (eating breakfast) NO PRELUDE! NO!!! **_

_**A/N: Might be upset by his death...**_

_**Acheron: No way I never would have guessed. (rolls eyes and hops onto motorcycle)**_

_**_______________________________________)()(________________________________________**_

_**Chapter 9:**_

_The world must have ended. Surely the fates couldn't be this cruel._

Holly tried to wake him. He wasn't getting cold like the dead people in movies.

_NO!_

Her prelude couldn't be dead. Not now. Not when she realized how she felt about him. Holly couldn't think past the fact that Hieronymus was dead. It all seemed like a nightmare. She started to perform CPR. Mouth to mouth. Anything!

Footsteps approached her as she looked up, eyes red from her tears to find the last person she ever wanted to see. Ferdinand. He was grinning widely as he forced her to her feet.

"Get out you bastard!" Her voice cracking at the end. He started to laugh.

"This is just perfect. We'd heard Artemis had the idiot following you." She spat in his face and pulled the dark-hunters body away from the guy. Her freedom was shortly ended as she ran into a tall black-haired man. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to release Prelude.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy? Would you mind if I took care of him?" Holly nodded and bent down to try and bring her dark-hunter back.

Ferdinand backed away. "C'mon! I helped you get in here! WITHOUT ME STRYKER YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT HOLLY'S LOCATION!" Holly looked up at the two of them. The man named Stryker pushed Ferdinand out the door and closed it in his face.

She started to flat out sob for Prelude. Stryker kept back a good distance until the room seemed to be so hot it was on fire. He pulled her away from the corpse and Holly tried to fight him off. He smirked at her and held tighter. A smash from the kitchen echoed into the foyer and Holly felt something hit her.

"HOLLY!" Ferdinand's voice screamed for her as she started to fall unconscious. Her last glimpse one of Prelude on the floor. His corpse laying on the floor gathering dust.

Ferdinand rushed into the room and towards the daimon leader. He dodged his fist and smashed him against the wall. All without letting go of Holly.

"Why would you even bother?" He opened a bolt-hole and turned one last time toward Ferdinand. "I have Holly and in about a day, I'll have the power to defy the Fates." He walked into the bolt-hole and vanished, bolt-hole closing behind him.

Ferdinand fell to the ground and cursed himself. He should have stayed away from her business, he should have just left her in the hands of Prelude. Prelude. He turned with a cold glare toward the corpse of the once lethal dark-hunter. He nearly wet himself at the sight. Prelude was getting up and looking around.

Prelude awaken to a pounding sound. He looked expecting to see Artemis or Holly only to find his newly made squire, Ferdinand, hitting the marble floor. He pulled himself to his feet. It was an effort and he found he did have the wounds Artemis had inflicted on him.

"Oh shit!" Ferdinand headed towards the door and Prelude ran just in time to stop the guy from leaving.

"How the hell am I still alive?" Ferdinand looked horrifically at him.

"I don't know! Why are you asking me!" Prelude twisted his hand and sent the squire to his knees. He squirmed in pain and cried out. "STOP IT! IT HURTS!"

"I asked you a question." He twisted the hand more, sending more pain into the squire. "I expect nothing less than an honest answer."

"OKAY OKAY! I DON'T KNOW-" He twisted the hand to almost its limit. "OW! STOP IT I WASN'T FINISHED! HOLLY WAS TRYING TO BRING YOU BACK AND SRYKER CAME AND TOOK HER!"

He froze at the name of the daimon leader. It made sense that someone like Stryker would go after Holly with her powers. Still-

"How did he get in without an invitation into my house?" Ferdinand tried harder to escape his hold. Prelude grabbed and twisted his other hand while pushing his foot into the guy's back.

"STOP! I DID IT! I LET HIM IN! PLEASE STOP! IT HURTS!" Prelude pressed his foot into the guy's back more.

"Why did you do that?" The squire looked at him with absolute hate.

"YOU TOOK HOLLY WHEN I WAS TRYING TO MAKE HER DEPENDANT ON ME! SHE WAS SUPPOSE TO COME CRYING FOR ME TO TAKE HER BACK NOT RUN AND FIND YOUR HAIRY ASS!"

Prelude released him and the man went running out the door. He looked around the room and thought about what to do.

"_Hieronymus, I know that you would make a great fighter!" Prelude looked up at Shanta. They were in the back of the music hall while she prepared for her show._

_"You know that I wouldn't get to see you anymore. With all the fighting that is happening and all the hunting for witches I couldn't stand to leave you to defend yourself on your own. I love you far too much for that."_

_"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She snapped at him. She relaxed and looked apologetically at him. "I love my family and if they want you to fight then so do I. Do you know how long it took for me to get them to even consider having you marry me." He nodded. It had taken them three whole years to get permission from her parents. _

_"I'm sorry. I just can't stand to be away from you for so long. After all the times of having to hide when someone was getting close enough to see us together-"_

_"Hieronymus! Tomorrow we shall marry and I don't want to hear another word out of you until then." He felt that feeling again. Premonition._

_"Shanta, shouldn't you cancel your music until after the wedding?" She looked furiously at him. _

_"NEVER! NOT EVEN YOU WILL TELL ME WHEN I CAN AND CANNOT PLAY MY CELLO!" She walked out the room. He went towards the balconies to watch her. After tonight she would be his and-_

Prelude felt his anguish come over him as he thought of the night she had died. She had never been his. He should have realized what her family had been planning. Now Holly was in danger. The question still remained though...Why had she been here and why did she save him?

"You're a moron!" He looked up to find D'spute leaning against one of the walls.

"How long have you been watching?" He straightened up and looked at Prelude.

"Since Holly came and beat on ol' Artemis. She's deadly when upset." The oneroi smiled. "You should have seen it. She beat the snot out of Artemis. Artemis had to run away and still-"

"Why did Holly come here?" The dream-hunter looked at him like a moron.

"Hm... I wonder. She brought you back to life, beat up Artemis when she saw you dead and Artemis still beating on you, now why would someone do something like that?"

"She can't have feelings for me. I left before anything could happen." D'spute looked at him.

"Yeah, you never shared your memories with her or open up to one another. You two never kissed or anything that would show affection-"

"Shut it D'spute. I get it. How do I get to Kalosis?" D'spute shrugged.

"How the heck should I know. Hell, you're not even immortal anymore." Prelude froze.

"WHAT?"

"Artie released your soul from her command. Holly brought your soul back before the fates could take your soul away from this world. Your not a dark-hunter. Your just another human. A weak one at that."

"How am I suppose to get her back?!" He was starting to get pissed. Holly's face went through his mind. She was all alone. She needed him at full strength.

"Dunno. LATER!" D'spute vanished and Prelude cursed his luck. Why did his luck send him into these situations?

He pulled on his coat and ran out into the sunlight. He should have been rejoicing his freedom from the darkness, but he had bigger things to do. Like save his libeling.

The rained soaked him to the bone as he ran down the streets. What he was looking for, not even he knew. He hurried down one street when he stumbled upon Kyrian and Julian leaving a doll shop. They looked at him shocked.

"PRELUDE?!" Kyrian looked at him astonished.

"I don't have time for you two, I have to find a way into Kalosis. Holly's been stolen!" Julian stopped him from continuing to run.

"How do you expect to fight alone in a place like Kalosis-" They both noticed that Julian's hand was covered in blood from Prelude's wounds. "You're bleeding."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER! HOLLY'S-" Kyrian pushed him into Julian's van and they drove him back to Kyrian's house. Prelude trying to push open the back door the whole way there. They dragged him to the house and onto a chair in the dining room. Amanda ran in with a bottle of peroxide and bandages. Prelude fought to get away. Holly needed him.

Together, the three pulled up his shirt and started to treat his wounds. He hissed at the tender spot in the center of his back as Amanda treated it.

"How the hell did you get whipped?" He ignored Amanda and tried to get up despite Julian and Kyrian holding onto him.

"I've heard of getting whipped, but DAMN!" Kyrian shook his head. "I've never seen anything like this."

Acheron walked into the room and froze as he saw Prelude's back. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. Amanda tossed aside the empty bottle of peroxide and sighed.

"I'll finish him up for you Amanda. You go and take care of your children." She nodded and left.

"Acheron. Have you seen anything like this?" Kyrian looked towards the dark-hunter and he shook his head.

"Leave us. I've got a handle on him." The two Greeks nodded and left them alone.

Prelude watched him as he grabbed another bottle of peroxide and doused his back with the contents. It burned terribly and Prelude hissed at the pain.

"It'll be wrapped up faster this way."

"Acheron, Holly was taken by Stryker!" Acheron looked angrily at him.

"What did you do?!" Prelude looked furiously at him.

"I was dead during that time. In case you haven't been told by dear Artemis yet. She killed me!" Acheron was still upset.

"How do you know it was Stryker then."

"We have a rogue squire that let him in my house."Acheron pulled out his phone.

"Which one?"

"Ferdinand."

Acheron dialed and waited for an answer. "Urian, find out where your father is keeping his newest hostage. And Tell Alexion to tell the blue bloods to take care of Ferdinand Smith. He had gone against the code." He hung up and finished wrapping up Prelude.

"We need to find Holly and get her away from the daimons." Acheron didn't handle being ordered around well.

"We nothing. I will be getting her out of there. You need to return to your home and live out the rest of your mortal life."


	11. Chapter 10

_**Csoh: PRELUDE! NO!**_

_**Prelude:What?**_

_**Csoh: Um... ACHERON, NO!**_

_**Holly: At this point I think she just wants to yell...**_

_**Csoh: Yep!**_

_**A/N: Just in case you're confused this is before One Silent Night...**_

_**______________________________________)()(_____________________________________**_

_**Chapter 10:**_

Prelude felt like he'd been smacked in the face. "You want me to what?" Acheron headed towards the door.

"You need to stay out of this."

"NO!" Acheron paused near the door. A tick worked in his jaw as he turned around towards Prelude. Prelude felt like attacking the man.

"Hieronymus. She isn't-"

"You need a new line. I know and I love her for who she is. Not because of anything else."

"How do you expect to help. You're only a human now. You can't even get to Kalosis. Yet still you think you have a shot."

"Are you saying that you doubt me?" Those mercury eyes stared at him hard.

"I doubt you entirely." Prelude stood up and punched Acheron. Right in the jaw. The dark-hunter didn't even blink. A force pulled him to the man's hand, he started to choke Hieronymus.

"I won't fail Holly. You can't stop me from trying. I don't care if I die anymore. I won't return to isolation."

To his surprise, Acheron let him go and pulled him to his feet. Prelude felt blood in his mouth, his throat was going to be sore. Acheron's phone rang. He pulled it out and answered. Prelude cleaned up his face as Acheron hung up.

"They have Holly at their meeting hall." Prelude frowned.

"Aren't you coming to help?" Acheron turned to face him.

"I can't come, but my daughter can." Prelude nearly wet himself.

"I THOUGHT DARK HUNTERS COULDN'T HAVE KIDS!"

"They can't. I never said I was a dark-hunter, did I." Now that he mentioned it-

"I'm not taking your little kid with me to a daimon fest. I'll have to keep covering her back and with Holly in deep shit, I don't need anymore to protect."

"You better be talking about yourself." A tall blond walked into the room. Following her was the former dark-hunter Sin. Sin was probably the worst of the dark-hunters. He had never fought against the daimons and he had even killed human...according to the dark-hunter website. He seemed less holding onto the blond woman. She was holding a baby in her arms.

"Oh wonderful, I'm sure all the daimons will love an infant to fight." Sin looked ready to kill Prelude for his sarcasm.

"I'm going with you not my baby." The woman placed the infant in Sin's arms and nodded towards her father.

"Katra, she's held at the meeting hall."

"Wonderful. I get get another relative and where does she want to meet? Why not the daimon hall. I'm sure Stryker and the others are just being completely courteous." She grabbed Prelude's hand and he found them in the hallway of what looked to be a palace. She let go as he thought of something.

"So Acheron is related to Holly?" Katra nodded.

"Yep. I wouldn't think about it too much. Our family has one of the most bizarre lineages of any family." He nodded. It seemed like Holly had more and more relatives with each day. Katra started toward a pair of double doors and he followed silently, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

___________)(___________

Holly came awake on a comfortable bed. Comfortable being an understatement. She rolled over and enjoyed the softness until she remembered what had happened before she went to sleep.

"My apologies for the death of the dark-hunter." She looked up to find Stryker sitting nearby. His eyes watching her carefully and taking in every move she made. She nodded as her throat tightened at the loss.

"How did I get here?" He stood up to look like a giant.

"I brought you." Well he had some superiority complex going on.

_Awesome girl. Doesn't the day just keep getting better. Why don't you ask him to disembowel and impale you just for laughs. By the way he was eying you you could probably get raped too._

She tossed the voice aside and took in her surroundings. The room was... well it was a sweet suite. The room had gold trim to the crimson painted walls. The furniture was all cherry wood by the looks of it and a nice large plasma screen was place right in front of the bed. Yeah, he was either rich or his mom was.

"Where are we?" He smirked for a split second before looking stoic again.

"I brought you to Kalosis." Yelling came from outside the room and she heard him being called. "I apologize again, but since you need to stay protected until those powers of yours develop, I would appreciate you staying in this room." He turned and walked out. A lock clicked behind him as the doors to leave were locked.

_Appreciate my butt, more like 'hey slave stay here 'til I need you'. _

Holly got up and listened to find out what all the commotion was about. Unfortunately all the sound was cut off. Sighing heavily she headed over to the television and turned it on. She started to scroll until she found The Twilight Zone showing on a channel. Ironic. She set the remote aside and settled onto the the plush blood red couch to watch the episode.

Time seemed to be elongated as she felt her thoughts drift to Hieronymus. She could still smell his scent on her shirt. She felt tears threaten to fall as she sat there. Finally she turned the show over to a jazz concert playing. That didn't help at all. If anything she started to cry even harder.

_Wonderful._

She turned off the TV and searched around the room. In a desk in the corner she found what she was looking for. Scissors! She headed to the door and picked the lock open.

_Thank you brother Leopold! Finally your lessons come in useful._

She quietly headed into the hallway and stayed in the shadows. She needed to either find Apollymi or get to a safe place. She turned the corner and nearly wet herself.

A group of Charonte demons were lounging in the hallway. A couple of them were watching her intently. _Oh goodness. _

Turning around, Holly all but sprinted back to her room. Slamming the door behind her, she leaned against the door panting. What in the world had she gotten herself into now?! A knock came on the door behind her, she stood up and opened it to find a handsome blond guy standing outside the door.

"Can I help you?" He smiled and shook his head.

"Stryker told me that I should bring you something to eat." She looked behind him to find a cart with food on it. She shook her head.

"I'm not hungry right now, but I would like to use a phone. I need to call into work." The guy rolled his eyes.

"We already took the liberty of calling in for you."

_Liar!_ She stopped herself from calling out his lie. "Did you? That was very kind of you, but I highly doubt that you told them that they needed to move the particle isolator from storage unit one to storage unit four or else it will leak and cause a radiation problem throughout New Orleans." She was lying, but he had too.

The look on his face was priceless as he got out a phone and handed it to her. "Make it quick." She turned away from him and started to pace as she dialed. The phone was picked up on the first ring.

"Wrong number."

"Hi there. I had some friends tell you that I wouldn't be around for a while," she walked casually into the bathroom. "Okay dad, who's Stryker?"

"He's the leader of the daimons. Why?"

"Cause he kinda picked me up and I have no idea where I am right now." Savitar cursed so foully that Holly nearly dropped the phone.

"How did he get to you. Apollymi had you with her!" If she had thought the Charonte demons were scary, it was nothing compared to the way he sounded right now.

"Oh goody. Mr. Happy is on the line. I missed you something fierce-"

"Shut up and answer me." He was seriously pissed.

"Doesn't matter. That's not going to help me right now. I called for solutions not shouting. If I wanted to be yelled at I would have beaten up Stryker." A aggravated sigh came from the other end of the line.

"They shouldn't mess with you for a few more hours. Sit tight and I'll get you."

"Fun. Nothing says love like daddy picking you up from your friend's house."

"Don't do anything stupid." He hung up and Holly erased the memory on the phone before walking out of the bathroom and returning the phone to the blond guy. He looked at her oddly for a minute before putting it away. He had a plate of food out for her and placed it on the end table before leaving the room. The locked clicked into place.

Again.

Holly reclined onto the couch and looked at the clock. The day was just getting better and better...not. She turned the television on and turned to the QVC. This at least wouldn't remind her of anything.

________________)(_________________

Prelude and Katra were almost at the end of the hallway when Stryker came walking out of the door at the end. He looked furiously at Katra before turning his attention to him. He looked shocked as he looked at Prelude for a minute before smirking.

"Her powers are already working to a point that she stop the damned from dying." Prelude heard doors open as other daimons came into the room. Katra grinned as she looked at the company.

"Apollymi wants to see Holly so I figured you would rather have me come and get her instead of her." Stryker gave a cold glare towards her.

"She does not. Besides, Holly has decided that she likes it here." Prelude scoffed.

"She wouldn't stay with the likes of you or anyone here." Stryker looked at him with a look of boredom.

"She really likes it with us, she has even taken up residence in my personal room." Katra shivered at the image.

"Somehow I doubt someone related to me would want to be anywhere near where you call your room." Stryker glowered at Katra. Prelude had had enough talking.

"We're taking her now." Stryker didn't even blink at the venom in Prelude's voice. He started to attack when a daimon came running in and started to whisper into Stryker's ear. Whatever the guy said, it wasn't good.

"And you let her?!" He knocked the guy to the ground and turned to leave.

"Holly causing problems?" Stryker turned.

"I can't fight you here, but you should leave." The other daimons guarded his leave and blocked them from continuing down the hall. Katra grabbed his arm and he found himself in another hallway. This one empty. He turned on Katra and looked at her with nothing but hatred in his eyes.

"Her powers are coming from nearby. You should feel them too." He leaned back and felt a pressure coming from the area to their left.

"You should go home."

"Not likely. You're only human. You can't fight the daimons alone. Especially not this many." He headed toward the pressure with Katra. They stopped as they saw Stryker walking toward a set of doors. He unlocked them and entered. They listened quietly.

Holly looked up as she saw Stryker enter.

"Morning...Afternoon...You know you can't really tell in here can you." He didn't look happy.

"Who did you call just a few minutes ago." She motioned toward the television.

"You know I just adore that lamp! It's for a limited time only you know. I had to act now. It's a good thing I did too. They just ran out." He didn't look amused.

"You're lying." She feigned a look of shock.

"OH MY! Who in the world would lie. That would be like keeping someone locked up so that they could use the person for their own personal agenda." She stood up and walked straight up to the daimon leader. "Of course no one would ever do something that cruel would they." He frowned down at her angrily.

"Your friends I already forced to leave. You won't be having anymore calls either." He turned and she felt his smugness as he started to leave. She decided to test him.

"SO YOU KNOW THAT I CALLED MY BOYFRIEND APOLLO?!" He looked like she had smacked him. She felt his shock and anger as he turned and pulled her against the couch.

"What did you say?" She grinned happily at him.

"You heard me. He's very upset about this. He said that he was going to get his sister's little helpers to come and get me out. He said that she could never say no to him." Stryker looked sick. He turned and walked out the door. Locking it behind him, she heard his hurried footsteps as he rushed to prepare for the "guests".

_That was fun. Obviously, he really hates Apollo._

She rubbed her neck from where he had nearly choke him and turned to lay on the bed for a while. The door clicked open as she looked up to nearly crap herself.

Prelude was shocked as he heard Holly yell. Katra snickered under him. They waited until Stryker nearly ran out of the room and towards his daimons. Katra started to head for the room when she paused to find him not moving.

"C'mon let's go."

"She's with Apollo?" Katra rolled her eyes.

"Trust me when I say no. The guy has a god complex that is second only to his father's. Besides, he has been trying to put the moves on Athena for a few weeks now. The guy is pathetic." Prelude moved forward, but he felt the doubt inside him.

As they opened the door, he saw Holly walking towards a large bed. She turned and stared at him. She looked like she was seeing a ghost.

"Prelude?" He ran forward and gathered her into his arms. He held her so tight that he wouldn't have been surprised if she had started to complain. She returned the embrace with as much eagerness. It was so easy for him to believe she loved him as much as he loved her. He wanted to desperately.

Holly felt the emotions rushing through Hieronymus as they embraced. She never wanted to let him go. Not now, not ever. The woman he was with cleared her throat as she separated them.

"I know we all want to just have the warm and fuzzies, but you know, we kinda should wait until Mr. Wants-to-be-badass is out of our hair." Holly nodded and they almost reached Katra when Stryker rushed in with his daimons. They surrounded them and Holly felt her powers surging more. She tightened her grip on Prelude and kissed him.

Prelude tried to pull back, but Holly held him against her. He felt something in her kiss that filled him with power. His whole being warmed until Holly pulled away. She lifted herself to his ear. "Please don't tell anyone I gave you most of my powers. We can't let them use them." Stryker pulled her away and trusted her to the others. Katra grabbed his arm and the room disappeared and he found himself at another place.

"DAD!" Acheron stood up from where he had been talking with Tory.

"What happened?" Katra looked ill.

"Holly went with Stryker." Acheron cursed loudly and Prelude found himself transported to his house. He had been tossed aside.

____)____(_____

_**Reviews are always welcome. I hope you enjoyed the update. ^_^**_


End file.
